[37] President asks for further EU engagement in Cyprus , spokesman
says
Politics

Prime minister George Papandreou stressed that Greece will succeed
provided everyone has "faith in our abilities and self-confidence for
our country", during a visit to the island of Limnos on Friday.

In Limnos to attend celebrations marking the 98th anniversary of the
island's liberation during the Balkan Wars in 1912-13, Papandreou said
that every part of Greece has its beauty "but also a huge productive
and human potential that has not been utilised and projected".

This potential, he added, needs to be liberated from the mistakes of
the past and focus on the timeless values and traditions of the Greek
society for the country's development, founded on its comparative
advantages.

Prime Minister George Papandreou on Friday addressed pupils of the
newly opened high school in the port of Moundros, on the eastern Aegean
island of Limnos, where he underlined that the "digital school goal,
which was set a year ago, has become a reality".

Papandreou underlined the major role information technology can play in
people's daily lives and stressed that Greece can be a pioneer in the
"e-book" sector. He pointed out that school will not be the source of
passive consumption of knowledge anymore, and that the students will be
able to produce knowledge and share it electronically with other fellow
students in the form of an audiovisual material.

He also stated that digitization will allow the Greeks living abroad to
have access to school courses otherwise unattainable.

Papandreou mentioned the environmental benefits that will stem from the
reduced demand for printing paper and made a special reference to the
life-long learning attitude which is necessary considering the speedy
technological developments.

Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou stressed that the digital
dimension changes the old practices in education and presented the
prime minister with the first "e-book" to be available to all
schoolchildren in the near future.

Diamantopoulou stressed that 97 pct of the schools in Greece have
internet access and in the next three years all educators will be
adequately trained for the digital dimension of the new school.

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras predicted
that a new "tax storm" was on the horizon in the new year, that will
cause low salary earners and pensioners to hurt even more, during a
visit to Tripolis on Friday.

Throughout Greece, he said, "I see people who seek hope, who are being
bombarded by new taxes" and that is the crux of the political showdown
in next month's local government elections.

The Kallikratis plan for the reform of local administration was being
carried out without resources and was a "partisan piecemeal"
concoction, he said, and spoke of a "mutant" PASOK.

The problem, in ND's view, is the Memorandum, whereas "I am thinking of
the everyday people, the businessmen", Samaras said, stressing that
"the people need hope, not fear".

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras, speaking
during a visit to the city of Sparti in the Peloponnese on Friday,
called on the citizens of the prefecture of Laconia to vote against the
"policy" of the memorandum in the elections.

Samaras, who accused the government of a "tax raid", met on Friday
evening with Laconia prefect Costas Fourkas, accompanied by the
candidate regional governor of the Peloponnese, party members and the
deputies of the prefecture.

He said that the Laconians are the fighters of the party and termed
them the most valuable capital of the ND party and toured the market in
Sparti, while he was also due to visit the city's town hall.

The country's biggest problem was not the economic crisis as such, but
a lack of people with the skills to manage this crisis, Popular
Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party leader George Karatzaferis asserted on
Friday. He once again repeated his call for an 'ecumenical' government
that was able to restore the country "morally, socially and
economically".

"They may have good intentions but unfortunately they are constantly
making mistakes that do not solve our problem but make it worse," he
said in statements to Alter television station.

LAOS's leader said that Greece had now reached its nadir and that 2011
would act as a catalyst for events both at home and in foreign policy
issues.

"It is inconceivable and unforgivable that while we are in the 'eye of
the cyclone' the leaders of the two largest parties are engaged in
'sparring' and sterile, ridiculous controversies," he added.

[06] Droutsas meets new ambassadors of Japan, Germany and U.S. in
Athens

Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas on Friday received the new U.S.
Ambassador in Athens Daniel Bennett Smith for a customary first meeting
that focused mainly on bilateral relations, the prospect for
investments in Greece, the economy and developments in the Balkans and
Middle East.

In addition to the U.S. envoy, Droutsas met the new ambassador of Japan
Hiroshi Toda and the new German Ambassador in Athens Roland Michael
Wegener.

The foreign minister began a round of contacts with foreign diplomats
in Athens on Thursday, when he met Cyprus' Ambassador to Greece Joseph
Joseph.

Bilateral relations and cooperation between Greece and the United
States, within the framework of international organisations, dominated
a one-hour meeting Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos held on Friday
with new US ambassador to Athens Daniel Bennett Smith.

Opposition Coalition of the Left (SYN) President Alexis Tsipras met on
Friday with Iranian ambassador to Athens Mahdi Honardoost, for talks on
Greek-Iranian relations and developments in the wider region.

Tsipras stressed that there should be no new war "in the sorely tried
Middle East" and opposed war scenarios concerning Iran.

He also stated that peaceful solutions should be reached to all
problems in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean through dialogue
and in compliance with International Law. He also raised the issue of
the respect of human rights in Iran, stressing that "human rights
constitute universal and non-negotiable principle."

The Iranian ambassador stated that his country does not seek to possess
nuclear weapons and supports the further development of Greek-Iranian
relations in the economic, cultural and other sectors.

"We came to brief him on the initiatives we take at the European
Commission in relation to the issues of the environment, particularly
with the issues of marine environment, on our initiatives for the Black
Sea and the Danube, where the Patriarchate is working systematically
and we had also cooperated in the past," the Greek commissioner said
after the meeting.

The Greek commissioner concluded her three-day official visit that took
place at the invitation of the Turkish government.

The conclusion that Greek-Turkish problems will not be overcome unless
the two countries share a common vision was reached by the deputy
chairman of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer
Celik, and the Turkish prime minister's international affairs
counselor, Ibrahim Kalin, speaking on Friday at a Hellenic Foundation
for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)-sponsored conference in
Athens.

The Turkish officials also sided with the "zero problems" with
neighbours mantra expressed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu.

They maintained that a common vision could include a regional
cooperation spanning from eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to
the Caucasus and the Balkans.

Referring to the exploratory contacts, the 47th round of which is
taking place in Bodrum, Turkey, the AKP deputy chairman stated that
they move along very well, and as regards the inflammatory casus belli
issue, he said "the stance adopted is very open".

Kalin, summing up Greek-Turkish problems, referred to the "Aegean,
Cyprus and minorities", underlining the existence of "leaderships that
are determined to solve them within the framework of a vision."

The visit of Prime Minister George Papandreou to Turkey immediately
after taking office was described by both as a show of will for
rapprochement while on Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to
Athens on Oct. 22 they underlined that it will signal a second phase of
high-level contacts following his visit to the Greek capital in May and
the signing of 23 agreements.

On Turkey's European aspirations, they stated that Ankara seeks the
country's full accession and that the EU should keep its pledges. They
also said that bilateral issues should not block Turkey's accession
course and used the example of EU member-states Spain and Portugal that
continue to have differences between them.

On the role of the armed forces in Turkey, they stated that it is
advisory on security issues both domestic and foreign.

A cross-party committee on Friday decided to cut the compensation paid
to those assisting in the holding and organisation of elections by 20
percent, to 2,100 euros gross, as well as reducing the number of those
eligible for such compensation by 40 percent, in a bid to significantly
reduce the costs of holding an election.

Election compensation was previously at 2,600 euros gross and paid to
some 160,000 individuals, many of them local government employees,
driving the total cost of recent elections to roughly 149 million
euros.

The cost-cutting drive was prompted by the realisation that at least
1,000 local government employees were receiving election compensation
without being involved in the electoral process in any way.

Interior Minister Yiannis Ragoussis is expected to sign a decision
within the day that will stipulate which classes of employees are to
receive election compensation and which not. Local authority staff are
not envisaged to receive the benefit, however, since the interior
ministry believes they already receive compensation in the form of a
travel expenses benefit.

The decision has met with opposition from the local authority staff
union federation POE-OTA, whose president Themis Balasopoulos announced
that his members would refuse any kind of work related to preparation
for the municipal and regional elections from Monday.

"Municipal employees are not merely decorative in elections. They carry
sacks, telegrams and assist in the smooth running of election
processes," he stressed.

Finance minister George Papaconstantinou was upbeat on the Greek
economy, stressing the progress that has been achieved in recent months
and noting a "substantial increase" in investment interest, in
interviews in New York on Thursday with the television station CNBC and
the financial newspaper Wall Street Journal.

Papaconstantinou spoke of "great interest" in investment in Greece by
countries both inside and outside Europe, by China and Qatar, noting
also that at least one major postal service in Europe has exhibited
"explicit interest" in the Hellenic Posts (ELTA).

He said that Greece is on a good track for achieving the targets,
although the shortfall in revenues collection remains a "source of
concern".

Papaconstantinou also noted the support of the European Union (EU),
European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF),
stressing that Greece needs to "rediscover itself" and build on its
traditional forces, creating new comparative advantages such as in high
technology and green energy.

The finance minister expressed confidence that recovery will return in
2011, noting the "sweeping structural reforms" and fiscal streamlining,
and the changes in the money and credit markets. He also said that the
investments and changes taking place will create new jobs.

Regarding investments and the facilitation being introduced for
investors, Papaconstantinou referred specifically to the sectors of
infrastructures, real estate, tourism and shipping.

To a relevant question, Papaconstantinou said that "if you look at
where we were three months ago, very few believed that we would be
where we are today", adding: "We are a country that took control of its
destiny into its own hands, going ahead with short-term and long-term
changes, with positive consequences for its citizens".

Papaconstantinou had meetings on Thursday with international investors,
while on Friday he heads to Washington for similar talks and to attend
the 2010 Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

While in the US, Papaconstantinou is scheduled to have meetings with
his US and Russian counterparts, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
and finance minister Alexei Kudrin respectively, and with China's vice
minister of finance minister Zhu Guangyao.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn,
addressing a conference organised by the BBC in the framework of the
holding of the conference of the International Bank and the IMF,
praised the Greek government for its effort in the sector of fiscal
restructuring.

He said that the Greek government has done a fine job, stressing that
the Greek economy will be completely different when it emerges from the
crisis as a result of the implementation of the restructuring
programme.

Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, participating in the
same panel, emphasised the effort to gain the country's international
credibility, stressing his steadfast position that this will be
avhieved through the successful implementation of the programme which
is being carried out.

The Greek minister also said that Greece avoided bankruptcy and denied
the disaster talk that had been developed. He placed emphasis on
China's decision to purchase Greek bonds when the country goes out into
the international markets again and the relevant agreements announced
in Athens last week and concern China's decision to make the port of
Piraeus an entrance to the European market.

Referring to the banking system, Papaconstantinou said that contrary to
the rest of the world the local banking system was a victim of the
crisis and did not cause the crisis.

The Finance minister will also be meeting his counterparts from the
U.S. and Russia, he will be speaking at an event of the International
Institute of Finance and on Sunday he will be meeting the IMF
director.

Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis has sent a letter to Qatari
Minister of state for Energy and Industry Affairs Dr. Mohamed Saleh
Al-Sada regarding progress in the investment in Astakos, according to a
foreign ministry statement.

Specifically, Kouvelis noted the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for
strategic cooperation in the investments sector between the governments
of Greece And Qatar that was signed in the presence of Prime Ministers
Papandreou and Al Thani.

The MOC, Kouvelis noted in his letter, came as a follow-up to the first
Memorandum of Cooperation regarding the construction of the Astakos
energy centre that was signed Kouvelis and Al-Sada in the presence of
the Greek and Qatari Prime Ministers in May 2010, in Athens, during Al
Thani's visit, the statement said.

Kouvelis also underscored his particular pleasure at Qatar's having
become a strategic partner of Greece during the latter's efforts to
promote a dynamic development process through activities that will give
Greece an important regional role in Southeast Europe and the
Mediterranean.

Kouvelis stressed that for this cooperation to become a success story,
both sides will have to comply with the Memoranda of Cooperation,
following a specific timeframe for the meeting of their agreed
obligations - as set down in the MoCs - with the aim of implementing
the specific projects, according to the statement.

In this spirit, Kouvelis noted to Dr. Al-Sada the steps taken by the
Greek government following the signing of the MoC on the creation of
the Astakos energy center to honor in a timely manner and effectively
its commitment to the immediate promotion of its cooperation with the
Qatari government, securing the basic requirements for the construction
of the energy center. Specifically, Mr. Kouvelis set out the three
basic requirements that the Greek government met immediately to ensure
the fastest possible implementation of the project: a. A positive
opinion from the Prefectural Council on the Environmental Impact Study
b. Unanimous approval from the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) as
of last May c. Signing of a joint ministerial decision by the Ministers
of Energy, Environment and Climate Change; Transport, Infrastructure
and Networks; Economy; Development; and Culture

Noting the significant progress that has been made by the Greek side in
the preparations for the Astakos project, Kouvelis requested
corresponding information regarding the preparations of the Qatari
government and Qatar Petroleum International for implementation of the
project. He concluded by requesting a meeting with the Qatari Minister
at the soonest possible time, for the purpose of discussing the
aforementioned matters and moving ahead to the necessary steps for
initiation of the construction phase of the project, the foriegn
ministry statement concluded.

Government spokesman George Petalotis on Friday stressed the importance
of the work done in the past year and the sacrifices of the Greek
people, noting that this was not just about meeting the country's
financial obligations but about changing Greece and finally eradicating
pathogenic practices of the past.

He appeared cautiously optimistc about the state of the country's
economy but stressed that the alert was not over and that 2011 would be
a crucial year.

Commenting on the statements by IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
about yet another upward revision of Greece's deficit for 2009,
Petalotis said that the IMF was displeased with the tampered figures
presented by the previous New Democracy government but acknowledged the
efforts of the present government and the fact that it was ahead of
targets.

He again ruled out the prospect of further austerity measures,
regardless of the outcome of the revision.

Regarding the new electricity rates announced by the Public Power
Corporations, including a 13.7 percent increase in the lower
consumption range, Petalotis pointed out that there would also be
reductions of up to 20 percent for some 1.2 million domestic customers
through the 'social' price rates - even though overall rates would
increase by 2 percent - and that one million small businesses would see
reductions between 5-18 percent.

Regarding the 13.7 percent rate hike for low consumption, he noted that
these bills were mostly those for holiday or uninhabited homes that
were only used a few weeks a year.

On a reference by Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou to a
European company interested in the Greek Post Offices (ELTA), Petalotis
said the finance minister was merely using this to illustrate the
economic situation in the country, not announcing a government
decision.

Speaking at the conference "The Future of Insurance in Greece,"
organised by the Financial Times, Employment and Social Solidarity
Minister Louka Katseli addressed an open invitation for dialogue and
cooperation on a series of issues to social insurance companies.

Katseli proposed cooperation between public and private insurance
agencies for providing first stage health care for unemployed.

"The cost for every unemployed person is 3.5 to 5 euros a month and we
could create a security net with a little money for those in need of it
most," she said.

Greece will auction a six-month Treasury bills issue on Tuesday, Oct.
12, seeking to raise 900 million euros from the market. The auction
will be held with the participation of primary dealers of Greek state
securities, with a settlement date set for Friday, Oct. 15.

The Public Debt Management Organisation, in an announcement, said the
Treasury bills issue will be also offered to private savers tax-free on
the precondition of holding the securities until their maturity.

Agricultural Development and Foods Minister Costas Skandalidis on
Friday said he was determined to make great changes and adjustments in
the agricultural sector so as to make Greek agriculture strong,
competitive and export-oriented.

"It is inconceivable that in 2009 [Greece] paid 6.5 billion euros to
import agricultural products," he stressed during a press conference
held in Thessaloniki after a meeting with farmer representatives at a
central Thessaloniki hotel.

Among the envisaged changes he singled out the system of farming
cooperatives, saying that "everything will be done over from the
beginning". Noting that there were currently 6,500 farmer cooperatives
and 117 unions of cooperatives - many of which were little more than a
logo and stamp - he promised to bring legislation in the first quarter
of 2011 that outlined the terms and conditions for creating a
cooperative.

He said the government's goal was that groups of producers and
professional organisations negotiate directly with the markets for the
sale of the produce, bypassing middlemen.

The minister also announced the merger of state agricultural research
and training bodies, such as ETHIAGE and 'Demetra', and the closure of
some of the ministry's 154 regional services.

Questioned about the likelihood of protests and road blocks by farmers
in the coming winter, Skandalidis said that he was not a policeman for
the farmers but their "ally" and that they were free to mobilise.

The energy ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
Organisation member countries will hold a conference on "Green
Development" in Nafplion on Tuesday, organised by the Greek BSEC
chairmanship.

The conference, organised by Greece's Ministry of Environment, Energy
and Climate Change, will examine ways to encourage investments and
innovation om green development and the creation of regional
cooperation networks among the administrative authorities and relevant
agencies responsible for green development in the member countries.

The conference will culminate with a discussion of a proposal by the
Greek Chairmanship for the adoption of a Joint Declaration on Green
Development in the Black Sea region.

The theme of Greece's chairmanship-in-office of the 12 nation group is
"Black Sea turns Green".

Environment, Energy and Climatic Change Minister Tina Birbili provided
assurances at the GENOP-DEH conference on Friday night that 51 percent
of the shares of the Public Power Corporation (DEH) will be maintained
by the public sector, stressing that this issue constitutes a red line
for the government.

Birbili also said that the sale of electric power production units is
not a government option and that the corporation will continue to be of
strategic importance for the country.

"Today, we are being called on to solve in very tight time limits
problems that were accumulated over the past years," the minister
pointed out.

Prices in the food and beverage sector stabilised in the first months
of 2010, a report by the Institute for Economic and Industrial Research
(IOBE) stated on Friday.

The report said this development followed a period of significant price
hikes, a result of inflationary pressures before the crisis that
erupted in 2008. Strong demand for agricultural raw materials and
minerals from emerging and developing economies sparked a series of
price hikes that rolled over to global economies.

IOBE said that since then food prices have stabilised, although certain
products remain more expensive compared with previous years. This
stabilisation of prices is recorded both in 2009 and in early 2010,
reflecting the adjustment of demand-offer to an environment of economic
crisis.

Despite this stabilisation, however, significant challenges remained
globally which could intensify inflationary pressures on food prices.
These challenges are the result of higher food needs, new nutrition
habits -of western type- in emerging economies, climate changes which
negatively affect crops, lowering food inventories. As a result, the
domestic food/beverage sector is expected to face additional pressures,
beyond tax burden, with prices expected to rise further.

The report said that the producer's price and consumer's price indexes
in the food/beverage sector in Greece fluctuated more mildly compared
with the manufacturing sector as a whole. In 2009, a small rise in the
general price index (1.2 pct) compared with food prices (1.9 pct)
reflected a 3.0pct decline in housing and a 2.5 pct decline in
transport prices because of the economic crisis. In the first five
months of 2010, the consumer price index in food and beverage fell 1.4
pct, while the general price index was up 3.9 pct, compared with the
same period in 2009.

IOBE said Greek food products were cheaper than other European products
on average, particularly bread, wheat, meat, fruit and vegetables.

Greece's central government deficit shrank to 18.504 billion euros in
the January-September period this year, down from 25.603 billion euros
in the corresponding period in 2009, the Bank of Greece announced on
Friday.

The central bank, in a report, said the regular budget's revenues grew
to 36.175 billion euros, up from 34.947 billion euros in 2009, while
spending fell to 48.898 billion euros in the nine-month period, from
54.159 billion euros last year.

Households cut consumption spending in 2008 despite a significant
improvement in living standards in the country, a report by Hellenic
Statistical Authority announced on Friday.

The report, based on family budgets in 2008, showed a change in the
consumption model used by citizens, with a transfer of spending towards
housing, transportation, education, hotel accommodations and dining.

The average monthly consumer spending by Greek households totaled
2,117.67 euros (up 18.2 pct compared with 2004), with average monthly
consumption by poorer households accounting for 27.3 pct of spending by
non-poor households.

Poor households spent 30.4 pct of their family budget on food, while
non-food households' spending on food was 15.5 pct. Healthcare spending
accounted for 8.3 pct of the family budget for poor households and 6.6
pct for non-poor households.

Some 19 pct of the population faced the risk of EU-benchmarked poverty
in 2008, based on consumption spending.

The report showed a clear improvement in living standards in the
2004-2008 period, with a significant increase of households owning a
computer (from 34 pct to 42 pct) and at least one mobile telephone
(+16.6 pct).

Stocks ended lower at the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday, as investors
took profits after a four-day rally in the market. The composite index
fell 1.63 pct to end at 1,528.48 points, although it ended 4.08 pct
higher in the week. Turnover was a low 75.268 million euros.

The yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German benchmark bonds
was unchanged in the Greek electronic secondary bond market on Friday,
with the Greek bond yielding 9.82 pct. Turnover in the market shrank to
33 million euros, of which 19 million euros were sell orders and the
remaining 14 million were buy orders. The five-year benchmark bond was
the most heavily traded security with a turnover of 8.0 million euros.

The December contract on the FTSE 20 index was trading at -0.34 pct in
the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Friday, with turnover at 36.608
million euros. Volume on the Big Cap index totaled 8,264 contracts
worth 30.605 million euros, with 28,591 open positions in the market.

Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos inaugurated the
Archaeological Museum in the city of Arta, western Greece, on Friday
evening.

"The museum that we inaugurated today is a jewel for the city of Arta.
It is extremely important because this project has been completed and
is now being delivered to the city and the people of Arta. We hope that
this museum will be embraced so that it will succeed in becoming a
source of wealth in the entire region," the minister said after the
inauguration.

The "forgotten civilisations" of Neolithic Europe and their ties to
ancient Greece are the subject of a temporary exhibition that opened
its doors to the public on Thursday at the Cycladic Art Museum in
central Athens.

The exhibition, entitled "The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube
Valley, 5000-3500 BC" was inaugurated by Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros
Kouvelis on Wednesday evening, in the presence of Romanian Deputy
Culture Minister Irina Cajal.

Kouvelis met with the Romanian official on Wednesday afternoon, within
the framework of a promotion of cultural diplomacy issues.

The exhibition is taking place under the aegis of the Greek foreign
ministry as part of its presidency of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) organisation, and will run until Jan. 10, 2011.

A honey and beehive products festival opened Friday at the Pedion tou
Areos Park in Thessaloniki, with producers and bee-keepers displaying
the various kinds of honey produced in Greece and other honey and
beehive products, such as pollen, royal jelly, beeswax and propline,
while bee hives with live bees will also be on display.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about beehive products and
their nutritional and health properties by experts from the
Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and by beekeepers and
honey producers.

Short films will also be screened on bees and their contribution to the
ecosystem and to the human diet and health.

Several booths will also be set up where visitors can sample the wide
range of Greek honey.

One of the oldest foods known to man, honey is pure and healthy and
contains important vitamins and minerals.

Honey is first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Judges 14:8 which
is believed to have been written about 1050-1000 B.C. In Spain 7,000
year-old cave paintings depict beekeeping, while it is also known that
the ancient Egyptians kept bees over 4,000 years ago, using the honey
for sweetening and for its healing power.

The ancient Olympic competitors used honey and figs to enhance their
performance; honey can help to maintain energy levels and help muscle
recovery time.

Honey is a good source of riboflavin and vitamin B6 and also contains
iron and manganese. It has an abundance of glucose (also known as
dextrose) which is a great source of readily available carbohydrates
that give a healthy pick-up, and also boosts the immune system

Combined with green tea, it is an excellent source of energy, while
honey and lemon in a cup of hot water soothes a sore throat.

Honey is also important for its antioxidant properties - the darker the
honey the better.

Further, honey helps to maintain healthy hair and skin, and is a great
ingredient for home-made skin preparations. It's also used by cosmetic
companies for moisturizers, soaps and shampoos. It has been used since
ancient times as an antiseptic for burns, ulcers and it has wound
healing properties that inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi.

[31] High percentage of Greek young adults still live with parents,
Eurostat reports

BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA - V. Demiris)

More than one in two Greek men between the ages of 25 and 34, or 55.7
percent, and roughly one in three women in the same age group (35.9
percent) were still living with one of their parents in 2008, according
to figures published by Eurostat on Friday. In the 27 EU member-states,
the equivalent percentages were 32 percent for men and 19.6 percent for
women.

In the 18-24 age group, 84.4 percent of men (compared with 81.5 percent
in the EU27) and 67.7 percent of women (71 percent in the EU27)
continue to live with their parents.

Dozens of suspects have been charged with dissemination of hardcore
child pornography over the internet based on incriminating evidence
collected by the electronic crime squad in Athens and Thessaloniki,
during a major investigation that lasted months.

Arrests were made in 42 municipalities across Greece following
electronic crime squad investigations and raids on suspects' homes,
conducted in the presence of prosecutors. Charges were filed against
177 people nationwide. Eighteen of them, 16 locals and two foreign
nationals, will be tried based on an emergency court procedure, while
another two suspects are wanted.

A total of 72 home searches were conducted in the greater Athens region
alone during a single day under the supervision of chief prosecutor
Eleni Raikou.

Authorities said on Friday that the operation was launched based on
evidence gathered amid an international investigation over a total of
144,285 electronic traces of internet users in 170 countries. A total
of 361 electronic traces corresponding to 177 internet users involved
in the dissemination of child porn were identified in Greece.

The child porn material reportedly showed infants and children, from
roughly eight months to nine years old, being raped and tortured by
adults.

Among those accused for trafficking and possession of such material was
a retired senior army officer from Peloponnese, a teacher, businessmen,
a film director, a cartoonist, amongst others.

Police confiscated 308 hard discs, 39 laptops, and a huge number of CDs
and DVDs.

The investigation showed that some of the alleged child porn
traffickers had activated Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing Programmes to
automatically download child porn material from other pedophiles in
different parts of the world.

A 47-year-old man and his 22-year-old son, both residents of the island
of Rhodes, were arrested by drugs squad officers on Friday for
possession of heroin and cannabis.

In a raid on their home in the old town of Rhodes, police found 357
grammes of heroin and 2 grammes of cannabis. Also found were two
replicas of fire-arms, an antique pistol, brass knuckles and a large
quantity of watches, cameras and cell phones that police believe to be
acquired through theft or transactions involving drugs.

The two have been arrested and will be led before a public prosecutor
on Saturday.

Cloudy weather and northerly winds are forecast in most parts of the
country on Saturday, with wind velocity reaching 3-7 beaufort.
Temperatures will range between 2C and 23C. Cloudy in Athens, with
northerly 4-5 beaufort winds and temperatures ranging from 10C to 20C.
Fair in Thessaloniki, with temperatures ranging from 6C to 16C.

RIZOSPASTIS: "PASOK-ND must lose (in November's local government
elections), and the KKE (Communist Party of Greece) backed candidates
must be backed".

TA NEA: "Public sector: 25 years of work (by the end of 2010) the 'key'
to retirement with a pension not greatly affected by the new social
security provisions".

TO VIMA: "50,000 civil servants 'lost in the...transfers' - Kallikratis
local government reform plan, mergers and abolition of services".

Cyprus Affairs

[37] President asks for further EU engagement in Cyprus , spokesman
says

NICOSIA (CNA/ANA-MPA)

Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said Friday that the historic
visit Thursday of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry
Medvedev in Cyprus has been concluded successfully.

Speaking after the session of the Ministerial Council, Stephanou said
that the goals set have been fully attained and that this visit opens
up new perspectives for promoting further the excellent relations
between Cyprus and Russia.

He added that, as a result of the visit, the political and financial
advantages for the Republic of Cyprus are great.

Concerning the Russian proposal for a New European Security Treaty and
Cyprus' position on it, Stephanou noted that Russia is asking for a
dialogue with the EU and the member states, in order to discuss the
prospects of shaping this new security architecture, as described by
the Russian President, during a press conference with President
Christofias on Thursday.

The spokesman added that the Republic of Cyprus has reconfirmed,
through the President of the Republic, its positive stance vis-a-vis
the proposal and underlined the common position with the Russian
President for a constructive, equally-footed cooperation with other
European partners, within the framework of a credible and
accessible-to-all system of comprehensive security in the Euro Atlantic
area.

As a result, Stephanou said that Cyprus' approach is not in conflict
with the EU, as some have implied. The proposal is on the table, he
went on, adding that European leaders have many times described it as
interesting and they said their ready to discuss it.

Concerning the Cypriot-owned process for the solution of the Cyprus
problem, the spokesman said that some people confront it in an absolute
way, adding that this does not include the President of the Republic or
the Government.

Explaining the meaning of this process, Stephanou said that the two
communities of Cyprus are set to come to an agreement through dialogue
on the domestic aspects of the Cyprus problem, in order to arrive to a
mutually acceptable solution that will be put to referendum.

Moreover, he said that the President's policy does not exclude, but
encourages the involvement of the international community in the effort
to reach a solution.

"We seek the EU's involvement in the effort to solve the Cyprus
problem, especially vis-a-vis Turkey's accession negotiations, so that
the EU approaches Turkey and persuades her to alter her stance on
Cyprus, opening thus the way to a solution", Stephanou mentioned.

The president's proposals are made in this spirit, the government
spokesman said, so as to engage the EU further and oblige Turkey to
assume its responsibilities.

It is not right to say that President Christofias is excluding all
other players by adhering to the Cypriot-owned negotiation process,
Stephanou concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Peace talks
are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that will
reunite the country, under a federal roof.